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Shade #3
Dawn
A Re-Imagining of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Frankenstein meets Dracula in this Gothic retelling of Mary Shelley’s classic tale.
Frankenstein meets Dracula in this Gothic retelling of Mary Shelley’s classic tale.
A holiday in Switzerland is supposed to lift Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin’s spirits. She wants to forget the past and have fun. In fact, everyone in her party is running away from one indiscretion or another—from her fiancé Percy Shelley to Lord Byron to Mary’s stepsister, Claire. But from the moment Mary arrives at Byron’s villa, she knows something is wrong. He rushes her indoors and forbids all of them to go out at night, claiming that the horrible weather has driven wild animals down from the mountains.
The only person who doesn’t seem to be running away from anything is a handsome, young Italian doctor, John Polidori. Instead, he is fervently pursuing local folk legends and a new scientific theory that claims people can be raised from the dead.
But it’s not until they all challenge one other to write ghost stories that the real danger begins. In a nightmare, Mary envisions a patchwork man animated by Galvanism and she begins writing Frankenstein. Likewise, fueled by local legends, John writes The Vampyre—one of the first vampire stories ever written.
What neither one of them knows is that they are conjuring a dark evil. Before long, all of their lives will be in danger—for neither of these characters are imaginary. Far from it.
For fans of the Netflix program, THE FRANKENSTEIN CHRONICLES, AND I DARKEN by Kiersten White, SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY by Susan Dennard, and BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA.
156 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 13, 2018
3 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 10, 2019
This book series just oof.
First off let me say that this was not what I was expecting ...at all .
Secondly I almost gave up on it after the first four chapters . The first chapter was kind of confusing the author just jumps right in and dumps a big load of information on us .
I almost stopped reading it because of I was shaking my darn head at the stupidity of Mary in her relationship choices . I'm not going to talk about it now but I'll mention it in the content .
The whole series was strange just because each book was so short .
The books take place over the course of a few weeks or less ,so it was very fast paced once I got past the initial bordem of the first few chapters .
The summary hints at monsters and other things ...but I was not expecting this...this level of terror .
The terror mostly came from how grusome things were . I'm not usually the kind of person who sees descriptions as images in my head . However this book manifested them ,and it was terrfying .
I regret that I decided to read this book in a time of bordem as I waited to leave work at eleven at night . I then spent the next two or more hours trying to finish it so I would have enough closure to sleep. 😂 And guys it just so happened to be on a very dark ,windy night as a storm was coming through ...and that was so , so bad 😂
Anways I'm not going to explain the story just cause that would take forever , and that's what the synopsis is for .
The love triangle that is just out of control ....its not even a love triangle , seems how there are so many people involved ...its like a love Pentagon.😶 🙊
Just whyyy??? Does she really have to have feelings for every man she meets .
Content ;
-Mary talks about how she and her fiance had made a mistake by sleeping together , and that she would save herself for her wedding from then on .
- Two unmarried couples have a baby /had a baby .
- Two mild swear words
- Byron is a pig who sleeps with pretty much every woman he meets . *eyeroll*
- Very graphic gory scenes about brutally murdered people and animals . (This was the part that made it truly terrfying )
- A woman is found who is being abused by these creatures .
- Two things are brought back from the dead by putting them back together .
(Mary does one by herself ,without guidance?? Somehow she's a writer not a medical student who knows 😂)
- A character remembering bits of a sexual scene ,unwilingly I should note.
- A man is revealed to have slept with another woman cheating on girlfriend .
So all of this escalated to make me give this two stars the last book was just too much to believe , and bear. I'm really disappointed .
First off let me say that this was not what I was expecting ...at all .
Secondly I almost gave up on it after the first four chapters . The first chapter was kind of confusing the author just jumps right in and dumps a big load of information on us .
I almost stopped reading it because of I was shaking my darn head at the stupidity of Mary in her relationship choices . I'm not going to talk about it now but I'll mention it in the content .
The whole series was strange just because each book was so short .
The books take place over the course of a few weeks or less ,so it was very fast paced once I got past the initial bordem of the first few chapters .
The summary hints at monsters and other things ...but I was not expecting this...this level of terror .
The terror mostly came from how grusome things were . I'm not usually the kind of person who sees descriptions as images in my head . However this book manifested them ,and it was terrfying .
I regret that I decided to read this book in a time of bordem as I waited to leave work at eleven at night . I then spent the next two or more hours trying to finish it so I would have enough closure to sleep. 😂 And guys it just so happened to be on a very dark ,windy night as a storm was coming through ...and that was so , so bad 😂
Anways I'm not going to explain the story just cause that would take forever , and that's what the synopsis is for .
The love triangle that is just out of control ....its not even a love triangle , seems how there are so many people involved ...its like a love Pentagon.😶 🙊
Just whyyy??? Does she really have to have feelings for every man she meets .
Content ;
-Mary talks about how she and her fiance had made a mistake by sleeping together , and that she would save herself for her wedding from then on .
- Two unmarried couples have a baby /had a baby .
- Two mild swear words
- Byron is a pig who sleeps with pretty much every woman he meets . *eyeroll*
- Very graphic gory scenes about brutally murdered people and animals . (This was the part that made it truly terrfying )
- A woman is found who is being abused by these creatures .
- Two things are brought back from the dead by putting them back together .
(Mary does one by herself ,without guidance?? Somehow she's a writer not a medical student who knows 😂)
- A character remembering bits of a sexual scene ,unwilingly I should note.
- A man is revealed to have slept with another woman cheating on girlfriend .
So all of this escalated to make me give this two stars the last book was just too much to believe , and bear. I'm really disappointed .
October 20, 2018
This book was weirdly my least favorite of the series. Still really good, but I wanted more from the ending. I just felt like I was missing something to beef up the ending.
Overall this book was still great, the story continued down a path that held my attention and kept me interested. Loved the whole series, this one took me a few extra days to get through through. Which is weird because its so short.
Overall this book was still great, the story continued down a path that held my attention and kept me interested. Loved the whole series, this one took me a few extra days to get through through. Which is weird because its so short.
July 27, 2018
I received an ecopy of the trilogy of novellas in return for an honest review, all opinions and words are my own.
This book carries straight on from the second book in the series, Dusk and it is every bit as amazing as the first two books. To avoid spoilers here are my thoughts on the series as a whole.
I knew this series was going to be amazing the moment I read the synopsis. I am a massive fan of classic gothic literature and I was so excited to read a new take on a few stories I know so well. I am also a huge fan of Lord Byron's works and I have read extensively about his life. So getting to read this fantasy take on the summer he spent in Geneva with the Shelleys and Dr Polidori was a real treat for me.
The writing was incredible, from the first line I was transported back to those classics I love so much. The writing style was just as I hoped it would be and I fell quickly in love with the main character, Mary. The events which occur over the few days during which she drafts Frankenstein are incredible. She is so courageous and honest about herself and her companions.
The pace of the plot of three novellas is just right, I read the majority of the three novellas in one day as I just could not bring myself to put my reader down. I am so glad that I had all three novellas to read in one on go as I am not sure I would have been able to bear having to wait! The action follows straight on from the previous novella and that along with the small timeframe really helps to add urgency to the story.
The characters were all so wonderful vivid and unique, Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and Dr John Polidori were all so wonderfully well written and I just loved reading another take on their summer togethetr. Usually with the angle I have read from Byron is the central point, so it was refreshing to read something a little different.
I really loved the discussion of vampires, and morality and free will. I love the intricacy of the writing and the plot. Shade was an amazing take on the vampire myth and I only wish that the series were a little longer.
I would definitely recommend Shade to those who enjoy reading about vampires, those who love classic gothic fiction and in fact anyone who loves a great fantasy story they can get lost in.
This book carries straight on from the second book in the series, Dusk and it is every bit as amazing as the first two books. To avoid spoilers here are my thoughts on the series as a whole.
I knew this series was going to be amazing the moment I read the synopsis. I am a massive fan of classic gothic literature and I was so excited to read a new take on a few stories I know so well. I am also a huge fan of Lord Byron's works and I have read extensively about his life. So getting to read this fantasy take on the summer he spent in Geneva with the Shelleys and Dr Polidori was a real treat for me.
The writing was incredible, from the first line I was transported back to those classics I love so much. The writing style was just as I hoped it would be and I fell quickly in love with the main character, Mary. The events which occur over the few days during which she drafts Frankenstein are incredible. She is so courageous and honest about herself and her companions.
The pace of the plot of three novellas is just right, I read the majority of the three novellas in one day as I just could not bring myself to put my reader down. I am so glad that I had all three novellas to read in one on go as I am not sure I would have been able to bear having to wait! The action follows straight on from the previous novella and that along with the small timeframe really helps to add urgency to the story.
The characters were all so wonderful vivid and unique, Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and Dr John Polidori were all so wonderfully well written and I just loved reading another take on their summer togethetr. Usually with the angle I have read from Byron is the central point, so it was refreshing to read something a little different.
I really loved the discussion of vampires, and morality and free will. I love the intricacy of the writing and the plot. Shade was an amazing take on the vampire myth and I only wish that the series were a little longer.
I would definitely recommend Shade to those who enjoy reading about vampires, those who love classic gothic fiction and in fact anyone who loves a great fantasy story they can get lost in.
March 30, 2021
I am reviewing all 3 books as if they were one single book since they really shouldn’t have been split.
I really enjoyed the story. The writing was great and held me captivated throughout.
I’ll admit I have never read Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein but I’m not sure I would have called this “a reimagining”. It’s not the story of Frankenstein, rewritten. It’s a fictional account of an event that happened to Mary Shelly that inspired her to write Frankenstein.
It is a little bit more graphic so I would recommend it for upper YA. It’s a great story, just be prepared to purchase all 3 to get the story.
I really enjoyed the story. The writing was great and held me captivated throughout.
I’ll admit I have never read Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein but I’m not sure I would have called this “a reimagining”. It’s not the story of Frankenstein, rewritten. It’s a fictional account of an event that happened to Mary Shelly that inspired her to write Frankenstein.
It is a little bit more graphic so I would recommend it for upper YA. It’s a great story, just be prepared to purchase all 3 to get the story.
April 17, 2018
I received a free copy for an honest review. Wow, just wow. The conclusion to this series was quite a ride. I expected some of it to happen but the things I didn't expect blew my mind. The naivety of Mary at some points had me wanting to slap her silly but then I remembered it was a different time back then. This is a great read, especially if you like the stories Frankenstein and Dracula. If you didn't read them, you would still like this story simply because of it's creativity. I've read a lot of books, but never before have I read one quite like this.
September 3, 2018
This was just as dark and intense as the previous two books. I loved the beautiful blending of fact and fantasy. This combined vampire lore with the Frankenstein legend. I loved the village superstitions. For an edge of your seat adventure you are going to want to read this journey with these famed literary icons. Ms. Destefano is one creative lady!! I cannot wait to discover more of her work.
October 4, 2018
Great ending to a great story! There were a few unexpected things that happened near the end that I really loved! Mary ALMOST gives up but then snaps back to her senses and fights back big time! I loved that the ending was very well thought out and included a little bit about Mary's future. I also really loved that the author included what was changed from Mary's real life aside from the obvious vampires and monsters. I highly recommend this series. It's a great read for October!
November 12, 2018
This is the exciting ending to the serial novel. The entire work is fast paced fantasy adventure with elements of the classic horror story. The ending isn't one I envisioned. Great characters, very original story, the only drawback is that to get the whole story you must get three books.
Kindle Unlimited edition.
Kindle Unlimited edition.
December 15, 2020
Merrie Destefano wrapped up the series with style and the sort of surreal gothic horror that one would expect from a book described as a retelling of Frankenstein! I enjoyed this whole series, and am hoping that she'll put it all together in one print book someday.
May 6, 2018
Loved this ending! It was a great novella series overall :)
June 8, 2018
Amazing conclusion to an amazing trilogy. If you like Dracula, Frankenstein or just paranormal fantasy this book series is for you!
August 3, 2018
Wait for the dawn
Mary is determined to save herself and her loved ones. But the darkness calls to her, and she may not be able to hold out much longer.
Mary is determined to save herself and her loved ones. But the darkness calls to her, and she may not be able to hold out much longer.
October 23, 2018
I nice conclusion to this story. Very well written and I recommend this series to anyone who would like to get a different take on Frankenstein.
February 6, 2021
I loved the final installment of this Mary Shelley retelling! Everything was creepy and haunting and had all the vibes of a classic gothic story!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews